Legato attachment for pianos



(No Model.)

R. C. SGHIRMER. LBGATO ATTACHMENT PoR MANOS.

Patentd Aug x H||||....l k 1 l I-| f 5. lllllflll' |ll|.

WITNESSES:

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD-C. SCHIRMER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LEGATO ATTACHMENT FOR PIANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 589,100, dated August 31 1897'.

Application tiled August 22,1896. Serial No. 603,584. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, RICHARD C. SCHTRMEE, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Pl1iladelphia,State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Legato Attachments for Pianos, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawing.

Myinvention consists of an improved construction of a legato attachment for pianos, the novel features of which will be hereinafter set fort-h, the present invention being designed as an improvement upon a prior patent granted to me April 2l, 1896, No. 558,52i, in legato attachments especially adapted for purposes of instruction, whereby the click caused by the removal of a ringer from one key is heard simultaneously with the click caused by the depression of a successivelyoperated key.

The figure represents a partial side elevation and partial section of a legato attachment for pianos embodying my invention.

Referring t0 the drawing, A designates the head of the hammer A', and B designates the rear portion or heel of the same, said head being mounted on the rod @,which is attached to the block D, which latter is pivotcd at E to any suitable support.

F designates a rod or arm projecting from the block D, in the present instance at substantiallyaright angle to the rod C and having the striker G attached thereto, said striker being adapted to contact at the proper intervals with the lower portion or abutment H of the strip J, which latter has an upright body portion K.

M designates a spring which has one eX- tremity held between the pinsNorother similar devices, while its lower end is adapted to contact with the block D and accelerate the .movement of the hammer in the proper direction, it being of course understood that the contact of the striker G with the vabutment H will prevent the head A of the hammer from contacting with the pian o-string P.

The operation is as follows: Vhen the hammer is actuated, which can be effected in any usual or convenient manner, the Contact of the striker G with the abutment H will produce the first click, and the movement of the head A will be checked before the latter reaches the string P, while the second click is produced by the contact of the rear portion B of the hammer with thebody K of the strip J, it of course being understood that in strict legato playing when two keys'are played in succession the first click of the second key is simultaneous with the second click of the first key, so as to sound as one.

In order to make provision forreadily adjusting the strip J and throwing the same into and out of the path of the hammer and striker, I mount said strip or strips pivotallyT at Q, wherefrom it will be seen that by swinging the strips into the position seen in dotted lines the hammer and striker cannot contact therewith and the piano can be used as for ordinary playing.

It will of course be understood that the strip J can be held in either of the positions indicated by any suitable means, it having not been deemed necessary to illustrate the same.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isy l. In a legato attachment, a pivoted strip having a suitable support, a hammer having its heel adapted to strike said strip, and a striker connected with said hammer and adapted to also contact with said strip.

2. ln a legato attachment, a strip of suitable material located at the rear and in the path of a piano-hammer, a block upon which the latter is mounted, a striker carried by said block, an abutment near the lower eX- tremity of said strip, and adapted to be hit by said striker, while the heel of said hammer is adapted to contact with the body of having one end contacting with said block,

in combination with a strip mounted at the rear and in the path of said hammer, and having a body portion against which the heel of Said hammer is adapted toimpi1ige,said strip with the body of said strip, and the other having` an abutment at or near its lower porarm havin g a striker adapted to Contact with 1o tion, located in the path of said striker. said abutment thereby preventing the con- 4. In a legato attachment, a pivoted strip tact of the hammer-head with a string. having an abutment at its lower end, a piv- RICHARD C. SCHIRMER. oted block provided with projecting arms, fitness/es: one of which has secured thereto a hammer JOHN A. WIEDERSHEUI, provided with a projecting` heel contacting E. H. FAIRBANKS. 

